1961 Honey Orchid Phoenix Mountain Oolong Tea (only baked 1 time) 3g

Regular priceSale price
$25.00

Quantity

In 1961 one of our current grower's Grandmother was in charge of their family's tea trees and wasn't able to sell out that year's Honey Orchid tea. She stored the rest in a ceramic pot hoping for better luck the next year. However when the '62 harvest came in that's all anyone wanted. So she continued storing the tea untouched save for her yearly tastings. The tea went from fresh floral flavors to deeply caramelized flavors then finally to where it is now 59 years later--layers of unique flavors accented by sweet dirt.

Apparently the tea reached its peak after 25 to 30 years, then the complexity faded as the sweetness crept in as oxidation degraded all of the caffeine along with any traces of bitterness.

We got what little she had and now store it in the freezer to stop any further changes. We only offer this tea in 3g tasting increments so those who really want to know what 59 years does to a tea get a chance to find out. It is definitely an extraordinarily unique tea.

According to traditional medicine, old tea is good for calming inner heat. This one, we suspect, will completely vanquish it.

Storage: Store unused portions sealed in an airtight bag away from light in the freezer at 5F/-15C or below.

Brewing water: Earth2O brand mineral water most closely matches the slightly hard natural spring water on Phoenix Mountain and produces the finest results. Soft water, distilled water and hard water will ruin this tea. Tap water varies wildly and is best avoided as well. If you don't have Earth2O water available please see good substitutions on our water page.

Brewing temperature: 99-100C/210-212F

Brewing method: Place 3g tea leaves (1 package) inside a small metal strainer and then dip into a wide mouth Chinese gaiwan or a cup with 60-80ml (~1/4-1/3 cup) water at 100C/212F water. Keep there a few seconds to reach desired strength. Repeat.